Ahhh yes. The typical samurai revenge story. One who sets out on an adventure to avenge their honor while leaving behind a shit ton of blood and guts spilled along the way. A friend had recommended this Netflix animated series a while ago. He knew I was tired of the typical Shounen type anime such as Naruto and Bleach now that I’m getting older. Those type of anime’s no longer can hold my attention for too long. However, he had a feeling that Blue Eye Samurai would hit the spot just right for me. It has a lot of good ratings and I thought I’m due a typical revenge story.

Suffice it to say, my friend was right. Blue Eye Samurai was a treat to watch. I think the story of Mizu is quite unique. She’s a despised half-breed living in feudal Japan at a time when all white men were forbidden. However, it’s believed that four of them had stealthily remained behind, and one of them fathered Mizu. She’s now determined to find and kill him for having fathered her in a time when foreigners were banned from the country, thus making her life growing up as a half-breed a living hell. Mizu is a friggin’ badass swordswoman, and she’ll stop at nothing to get her revenge.

Mizu’s like John Wick, minus the dog and replacing the guns with a sword instead. It’s a bit hilarious and a bit cute seeing this small woman harbor so much hate within her and being able to kick so much ass. What I like about this anime is how they took the time to flesh out Mizu’s character and backstory. Episode 5, “The Tale of the Ronin and the Bride,” was one of the better episodes in the series. It’s another one of those stories where a character’s life and arc could have been so much different were it not for love and betrayal. The side story of Princess Akemi was pretty typical, but I have a feeling her path and choices will have a lot more significance in the future. Ringo’s character provides a light dose of comic relief to counter Mizu’s dark and violent path. I mean, “peaches,” amiright?

When this was initially recommended to me, I remember being a bit worried, as I thought I had seen that Netflix had dropped the series after only the first season. I took a chance with the anime anyway, and fortunately, it seems that season two is scheduled for a 2027 release, with the final season three ending the series in 2028. I have to say that I’m a bit excited for this one. I can’t wait to see how Mizu will adapt to the culture and life in London in her continued search for her father. Mizu might have gotten away with being a crazed swordsman and killing on a whim in feudal Japan, but that’s likely not going to cut it in a new country. How much will she have to rely on Fowler, and how far can Fowler be trusted? Will Mizu actually go soft in the end when she finally confronts her father and let him go? I can’t wait for season two to arrive!